A pedestrian on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota County was killed in an accident in the early hours of Tuesday, September 15.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, a 56-year-old Sarasota man was driving a pickup west on Bee Ridge Road in the center lane at approximately 6:25 a.m., heading toward Beneva Road. Meanwhile, a 37-year-old Sarasota man was walking north across Bee Ridge Road, outside of the designated crosswalk area.
The truck collided with the pedestrian, resulting in fatal injuries. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene when emergency responders arrived. The driver of the truck was wearing a seat belt and was uninjured.
Pedestrians expected to stay within crosswalks
All pedestrians are expected to follow right-of-way rules, and to stay in crosswalks when crossing the street. Drivers, meanwhile, are expected to yield the right of way to pedestrians who are crossing in crosswalks and who have the signal to do so. If there is no signal controlling the area, it is expected that the driver will yield.
There are some circumstances in which a driver can still be considered at fault for a pedestrian accident even if the pedestrian crosses outside of a crosswalk. However, in such cases the pedestrian would have to prove that the driver should reasonably have seen the pedestrian and had plenty of time to slow down or otherwise avoid them.
If you or a loved one have been injured as a pedestrian in a Florida accident, contact a trusted Manatee County personal injury attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez & Walsh for legal representation in your ensuing claim.